Deadly bay-dwelling bacteria elicits warnings

Its name is vibrio vulnificus, and it thrives under just the sort of conditions the bay is known for this time of year: warm water with relatively low salt concentrations.

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A February Freeze participant dashes into the frigid water of the Chesapeake Bay for the 18th Annual Habitat for Humanity February Freeze on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 in Cape Charles, Va.(Photo: Staff photo by Jay Diem, Staff photo by Jay Diem)Buy Photo

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High-profile cases have been the vibrio bacteria in the spotlight in the Chesapeake area.

There have been 16 cases statewide, down from 57 last year.

Health officials have warned the public to be careful eating raw seafood and recreating in the bay.

A handful of high-profile cases has put a potentially deadly waterborne bug back in the spotlight this summer around the Chesapeake Bay.

Its name is vibrio vulnificus, and it thrives under just the sort of conditions the bay is known for this time of year: warm water with relatively low salt concentrations.

The spate of cases has prompted the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as well as the environmental group the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to issue public warnings about the bacteria's presence.

The warnings appear to be borne out of an abundance of caution. There have been 16 cases so far this year; Maryland averaged 43 cases over the previous five years.

Vibrio poses the biggest threat to people who eat undercooked shellfish, raw oysters in particular, or have contaminated water come in contact with an open wound. People with depressed immune systems or certain liver conditions are most at risk.

Put in perspective, the risk of the typical person getting sick is small, said Clifford Mitchell, director of the Department of Health's environmental health bureau.

"When you think of the tens or hundreds of thousands of people who have contact with water in Maryland, it's not something people have to be worried about it if they're going in and recreating in the water," he said.

Vibrio vulnificus is part of the same genetic family as cholera. If a health person eats food laced with it, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If someone catches it through an open wound, the infection can cause skin breakdown and the formation of ulcers, a fact that has led some media outlets to incorrectly dub it a "flesh-eating" bacteria.

In a person with certain underlying health problems, vibrio is fatal 50 percent of the time once the infection reaches the bloodstream, according to the CDC.

The most deaths attributed in a single year to vibrio over the past decade in Maryland has been three. None have been reported so far this year.

But it's been making headlines nonetheless. In July, a 66-year-old man nearly died after contracting a vibrio infection in his leg after a day of swimming, crabbing and kayaking in the Calvert Cliffs area.

The number of vibrio cases jumped from 13 in 2001 to an all-time high of 57 last year in Maryland. Wicomico County Health Department deputy health officer, James Cockey, said global warming may be creating a more hospitable environment for the bacteria's growth.

To reduce chances of getting sick, the Maryland Department of Health recommends:

• Avoiding raw or undercooked shellfish or crabs, and don't let their drippings touch other foods.

• Cleaning surfaces and containers that raw shellfish or crabs touched during preparation.

• Wearing gloves when touching raw shellfish or crabs or their drippings

• Keep open cuts and sores away from raw shellfish or crabs, their drippings and coastal waters